Kimi wins but his chances of glory are Spa-rse

RON Dennis’ views before the Belgian Grand Prix might well have been shouted into Juan Pablo Montoya’s ears after the race following yet another afternoon when the Colombian jeopardised everything the McLaren team are working for.

“We are building the brand and us winning the constructors’ title is important. That is what we intend to do,” Dennis had said prior to watching Montoya crash out with three laps to go when the Woking team were all set for their first one, two in five years. The Colombian blamed Antonio Pizzonia for careering his Williams into the back of the MP4-20 at Spa but, even in difficult damp conditions, it was an incident that could and should have been avoided. Once again Kimi Raikkonen won the contest, his sixth of the season. But once again his team-mate got the headlines for messing up, and forfeiting an 18 points to six finish over Renault on the day which would have lifted McLaren to the top of the constructors’ pile with three rounds to go. As it is they still trail by six points thanks to the differential being cut from 12 points to just two, following Montoya’s catastrophic moment that allowed world champion elect Fernando Alonso to sneak up from third to second. The Spaniard was not only handed an extra two points but Montoya threw away his eight, with the other Renault, that of Giancarlo Fisichella, out of the equation after he crashed at around 160mph at the top of Eau Rouge. Incredibly, given they have won the past eight out of 11 races with what is easily the quickest package, McLaren recorded only their first one, two in qualifying since Imola 2001 — Montoya the quickest although Raikkonen was said to be carrying a lot more fuel. With Alonso having to finish four points better than Raikkonen to be world champion on Sunday, his fourth qualifying slot played into Mclaren’s hands but the Spaniard was content to just pootle around and would have been happy to finish third before being handed the bonus ball Montoya dropped. Tyres played a big part, with most teams using intermediates because of the surface water on many parts of the track on this wonderful four-mile plus circuit through the undulating Ardennes forest. Although the forecast rain never materialised, the conditions played a factor, with the Toyota team making the mistake of changing Ralf Schumacher on to slicks during the race. No sooner had he rejoined — when he seemed destined to make the podium — he span off. At the start, the two McLarens headed the pack before driving off in to the distance as the track temperature dropped by six degrees. The silver arrows were lapping one second quicker than Alonso’s Renault and the only concern for Raikkonen was when Fisichella crashed on lap 11 when the safety car was deployed, with Jacques Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher getting in front after he had pitted. That was only a minor obstacle though as he made his way through before tracking Montoya until the Colombian stopped for fuel with 11 laps to go. Not long after, Raikkonen followed suit and emerged six seconds ahead before he sped to the chequered flag for back to back wins at this prestigious event. It was another great drive, but it was the sight of Montoya’s car in the tyre-wall that will stick in the throat for Dennis and his team. Now comes the final three-race showdown between Renault and McLaren. There is obviously a touch of animosity between Dennis and Renault chief Flavio Briatore with the McLaren man saying before this race. “I’m in awe of Flavio. I’ve never known anyone win so many races and know so little about racing cars.” The irony is, Renault don’t have to win to become top dogs in both championships. Alonso now needs just six points to become world champion while Montoya is seemingly doing his utmost to ensure the Renault team’s smooth passage to the constructors’ crown.